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Advocate for Study Abroad

New Director of Intercultural Learning hopes to send more Southwestern students abroad

Currently, about 50 percent of Southwestern students study abroad at some point in their college careers. That number will increase if Tisha Temple has her way.

Temple joined the Southwestern staff in December as the new Director of Intercultural Learning. After obtaining her undergraduate degree from Trinity University, Temple went to SIT Graduate Institute specifically to learn more the field of study abroad and international student advising. She then returned to Trinity and worked for six and a half years as a study abroad advisor. Wanting to continue to learn more in her field and still have a chance to work with students, she saw the chance to work at Southwestern as a “great opportunity.”

With her background and experience, Temple is no stranger to the services that her office offers students. She herself studied abroad as early as high school when she visited Argentina. She said that she still keeps in touch with friends that she made there. Other locations that she has been able to go to include Costa Rica and Italy.

It was on the trip to Costa Rica that Temple said she decided she wanted to make a career out of being a study abroad advisor. “When I returned to Trinity University the following semester, I walked into my study abroad advisor’s office and asked her how I could get into this field. After following her advice, I ended up back at Trinity working with her for six and a half years. Never once have I looked back at the decision to get into this field and regretted it.”

Temple hopes more students at Southwestern can have an opportunity to experience studying abroad. “Even if [the students] don’t think it is possible… come talk to us,” she said. “No matter what your major is, it is possible to study abroad.”

Temple said that one of the important things to do to make studying abroad possible is to start planning early. She encourages students to come to Intercultural Learning Office on the second floor of the Prothro Center and start exploring different programs and options that are available to them. In the room next to her office, students can find pamphlets about programs just about anywhere in the world they might want to go.

In addition to increasing the number of Southwestern students who study abroad, Temple said she wants to make the experience of every student who goes abroad as efficient, educational and enjoyable as possible. She also wants to make the office of Intercultural Learning a warm and welcoming place.”

“Where do you want to go? The world is a large and amazing place,” she said.